


Broken

by ArtificialCherryBomb



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mental Instability
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 15:37:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtificialCherryBomb/pseuds/ArtificialCherryBomb
Summary: X and Zero have been missing for a long time. Axl finds them. A happy reunion, right?Inspired by a dream.





	Broken

Axl's breath hitched, his gasp so deep he thought it was his first.

With a jolt he moved to sit up, but immediately pain shot up his spine and forced him to settle. His eyes haven't turned on yet, but he certainly felt and heard everything around him, including the reassuring hand that kept him from trying to get up again.

"Axl, it's okay, just relax," he knew that was Cinnamon speaking to him, and he could hear Lifesaver's yelling somewhere in the background. There was a panic of some sort, but he believed it was nothing that they couldn't handle. "You need to rest. I'm sorry for turning you back on like this, let me just..."

He lost the rest of her words as his mind plunged into darkness again, this one less gripping then the last. When he woke again he had his sight back, though his body ached from injuries he did not remember obtaining. He knew better than to try and sit up again, this time moving his eyes to settle on Cinnamon and Lifesaver, who spoke over him in hushed tones.

"-I don't know what Dr. Cain is trying to do. We've never seen this before. Leaving them in the Training Room doesn't help us fix them in the least." Cinnamon looked so worn, her usual bright green eyes darkened by the recent horrors she had seen. Axl blinked slowly. What happened?

"His choices are not ours to question," Lifesaver folded his arms over his chest, closing his eyes slowly. "The Training Room is able to detect the conditions of any Reploid within it, so he likely just wants to make sure their vitals don't fluctuate. Besides, this room is too small for either of them like that, especially since X is--"

"That doesn't matter! We can't help them in there!" It was a shock to hear the blonde raise her voice, and Axl struggled to remember what was making her so upset. He knew it, it was there. Just out of reach of his still awakening mind... "You and me - we can fix them! Letting them even move when they're like... like that is disgusting! We need to shut them down and--"

"Axl," Lifesaver's stern gaze was upon the young gunner suddenly, and the nurse grew silent way too quickly. The boy blinked a few times before fidgeting under their stares. 

"...The one and only," Axl chanced a grin at them both, clenching his eyes shut as he forced himself to sit up. Cinnamon was at his side immediately, holding him to keep him steady. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Only, that truck is Vile and his Ride Armor. And he decided to back up once or twice." Huh. This place was oddly empty... hadn't he just gone on a mission with his team...? Were they unharmed?

"That should be an adequate feeling. You were in rough shape for a while," Cinnamon spoke sweetly as Lifesaver shone a light in Axl's eyes, pleased to see his pupil shrink accordingly. Despite having fixed any and all broken limbs, the assassin was aching all over, and he leaned against the nurse ever so slightly. "You've been asleep for a week."

"A week?! Oh man..." Axl whined at that, pouting like the kid he was as he pressed his cheek against her chest. "That's so uncool! I must've been pretty bad, huh?" He gave her an apologetic and charming grin, and when she smiled back it hurt to see it didn't reach her eyes. She wanted to say something but wouldn't. What is going on that I can't remember?! He himself was afraid to ask.

"Sorry we couldn't fix you up sooner. We've... We've been preoccupied a-and..." She couldn't hold it in anymore, and without warning a few tears slipped down her beautiful face. Axl frowned, ignoring his pain as he raised a hand to gently wipe them away.

"Axl, do you remember why you're here?" Lifesaver's voice cut through Axl's hazy mind, and the boy looked away from Cinnamon to stare at the much larger Reploid. Lifesaver looked stoic, guarded, wary to show any emotion in this situation. He had to deal with difficult things on a day-to-day basis. This shouldn't be any different. "Do you remember what made you stand on the line between life and death? Do you know who had almost killed you?"

Axl stiffened when Cinnamon sobbed, the girl pulling away to exit the room and calm herself down. He gulped audibly, his hands forming into fists as he sought an answer. What did this? Who did this?

"...I...I, um," he bit his lower lip, finding the floor to be a much more interesting place to stare at then Lifesaver's face. "I remember... there being a report of some freaky Maverick killing both humans and Reploids right here in Abel City. I remember the Commander warning me that they didn't know what this thing was, and to be careful, and..."

He stopped, his body fidgeting as he tried to remember. Lifesaver was patient, standing there and watching the Hunter expectantly. 

"...A-And I remember going to the coordinates with backup. That's about it, everything after is a...a blur." He shrugged, a sudden grin forming on his face. "I must've killed it if I'm here, right? Or did we catch it?"

"...We caught it all right. Dr. Cain is looking over them now." Lifesaver's eyes narrowed, and the grin on Axl's face wilted slowly. 

"T...Them? There was two...?" Axl didn't remember that. He recalled a lone image of a tall and bulky silhouette turning to look at him, green and insane eyes piercing his very core and...

"...It's in the Training Room?" He whispered, his body freezing up on the spot. Lifesaver looked sullen as Cinnamon walked back inside, the tears had stopped but her sniffling hadn't quite yet. "Can I go see now?"

"I'm not sure that's..." Lifesaver started, only to clear his throat and shake his head with a sigh. "You'll... You'll need to see Commander Signas first. That's all I can say."

"I'll get him," Cinnamon offered quietly, moving to Axl's side to rest a hand on his shoulder. He was surprised by just how weak he felt. Slowly he hugged her, hoping to comfort her in this stressful time. She returned it, nodding silently. They were grateful for one another. She broke the embrace after a few moments. Lifesaver raised a hand to stop her from moving, his face expressionless.

"No, I'll go get him. You both stay here. Just... Axl," The taller Reploid spoke quickly, avoiding eye contact when the two stopped to look at him. Clearly this was bad if even Lifesaver was shaken up, though he did a pretty good job at hiding it. "Don't let what you see hurt you. I just spent a week saving you from death. I don't want to see you back here for a long time."

"...You got it!" Axl smiled cheerfully, trying to remain optimistic as he and Cinnamon waited for their Commander.

Their hung in the air a feeling of dread, and Axl could not think of anything to say or do to cheer Cinnamon up. They spoke little as they sat beside one another, and Axl gently held her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. Slowly she settled upon leaning against his shoulder, her eyes on their boots. She felt guilty. She wanted to warn Axl, to protect him, to maybe make it not seem as bad as it was. Yet she couldn't voice anything that would help him. He had no idea what he was going to see…

She wished darkly that they could keep him in blissful ignorance, but how cruel would that be?

"H-Hey, guys!" The gunner beamed happily when the door opened, seeing three familiar Navigators and Commander Signas trailing behind, lingering in the doorway to speak to Lifesaver quietly. The girls were crying as they rushed upon the gunner, relieved, holding him as though they'd never let go.

"Axl!!" Pallette sobbed the loudest, clutching him as though he'd disappear if she let go. "T-Thank Asimov! N-N-Never do that again, I'll kill you myself if you almost die again!!" Their cries broke Axl's heart as he hugged all three of them tightly. Pallette had been worrying about her Hunter all week, getting no sleep. Alia and Layer had silent tears drifting down their faces, and it was clear that there was pain in their eyes. They were happy to see Axl, but…something was…

"We're so happy you're okay… I…I don't know what I would've done if…if you…" Alia started, only to turn away to stop herself. Layer rested a hand on her shoulder, silent as ever, giving Axl a nod as tears fell down her face.

"It's good to see you awake." Was all the tallest female was able to muster, her voice giving away nothing. Axl knew something was horribly wrong. Why couldn't they just tell him, dammit?! Still, he smiled, nodding to them.

"Ladies, ladies, please! No Maverick is strong enough to get rid of me!" He gave a cheeky grin, and that was probably the wrong thing to say. Alia broke down then, burying her face into her hands. Axl frowned, feeling horrible again. "I-I…I mean, I'm sorry Alia that was…"

"No, it's okay," Layer answered for Alia, pulling the shorter blonde into an embrace, more tears falling. Pallette removed her head from Axl's chest, sniffing, looking at the other two somberly before looking up at the gunner slowly.

"…It's…It’s been hard here Axl. Especially on the both of them. They're not mad at you, so don't worry." She murmured, and it was surprising to see her so quiet. Axl glanced at Cinnamon, who was refusing to look at any of them. Her eyes were on Signas and Lifesaver, who stood in the hallway still. Axl followed her gaze, frowning before slowly pushing himself off the bed. All the girls stopped to look at him, and Cinnamon moved to help him stand before the brunette waved her off. He limped to the door, catching both his Commander's and Lifesaver's attention.

"Commander Signas, sir!" He brought his hand up to salute his friend, his face serious now as the girls gaped at him, Cinnamon hovering behind in case he fell. "I apologize for my absence, sir! I am ready and reporting for duty!"

Silence. Everyone looked at Signas expectantly, and Axl noted how everyone seemed to be holding their breaths. Signas looked down at him, an expression on his face that no one could discern. After a second he straightened, and he suddenly looked much older then Axl remembered. Was that even possible for a Reploid to look so worn?

"Axl," Signas began, his gaze wavering when he opened his eyes again. "Lifesaver told me you could not remember what happened." He spoke as plainly as ever, but even so, Alia slowly made her way to his side, resting her hand on his arm to comfort him. He sighed, bowing his head.

"I can't explain to you what you saw. We've watched the recording from your helmet countless times, but this was not what we were expecting. Not at all. I...I wouldn't have sent you if I had known." He was ashamed of himself. Alia hugged his arm, grimacing as she fought the emotions that threatened to overtake her. Layer looked away, a hand covering her mouth as she struggled to keep her emotions in check as Pallette looked down at her shoes sorrowfully. "I beg you for your forgiveness. Nothing can prepare you for what's in the Training Room, and I only wish I could in good conscious keep this from you as to protect you. But I can't. You have too much faith in me and I cannot lie. I only ask that you can still look to me as both your mentor and your friend when this is over, but even so I don't think that would be possible. I'm...I'm so sorry..."

Axl didn't miss a beat with his response.

"You don't need to apologize to me, sir. It's my job as a Maverick Hunter to face anything that threatens the civilians, human or Reploid, on this Earth. You and I are just doing our jobs. Regardless, there was no way you could've known what could have happened. Do not beat yourself up over it, sir!" Axl nodded firmly. The last thing he needed to see was to see Signas break down in front of him. Whatever was in that room, he was sure he could take it. 

He had to.

"...Let me give you an explanation, at least. You need to be ready for what you're about to see." Signas closed his eyes, and everyone grew tense. "I'm so sorry Axl, but... Zero and X are..."

He went on, and Axl's smile disappeared completely.

 

* * *

 

They were right. This was beyond what he could've imagined.

"-As you can see, we cannot tear them apart. Once the mechanaloid legs were removed, that much was clear. The material surrounding their lower bodies is mysterious, and nothing we tried could break it. It appears their lower halves have also been melted together, and until we find a way to break apart that damn material there's no way we can-"

Dr. Cain was going on and on about things Axl didn't want to hear, his eyes down on the floor of the dimly lit Training Room with tears streaming down his face. It had all come back to him the moment he laid eyes upon them, and he brought a hand to his mouth as he watched them move in perplexed horror.

X had gone missing many months ago, without a word or a trace, on a mission that wasn't supposed to be that big of a deal. A search had been warranted immediately after his signal was lost, but when nothing was found a panic rose in the Navigation sector. Alia sent in Zero to many different places over the span of weeks, and every time they found little traces of X, but never him or anything that would indicate his location. It sent Zero into a wild despair, and he refused to stop looking until he found his best friend.

That is until the day he went missing too.

It had been initially perceived that Zero went off the grid purposely to focus solely on finding X, but evidence had indicated that there was a struggle of some sort before his connection went off. Reploid blood had been washed away hastily, and Axl had been sure the perpetrator was nearby when he was dispatched to look. He had searched and searched, and he even found a trail of (human?) shoe prints before they too had disappeared. Further investigating brought up nothing, and he had to return to HQ with almost nothing to show.

It had been the next day, before he woke up, that a warning was left for the Hunters at HQ. A package left at their doorstep by a deliverer not seen by guards or caught by security cameras. A plain package, one addressed to the Commander himself. Fearing an explosive, scans were done and the box was carefully moved somewhere safe. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and soon Signas opened it with bated breath, only to nearly howl in rage at the sight.

Two arms, one belonging to X and the other to Zero, were intertwined and melted together through extreme heat, the blue ribbon Zero used as a ponytail wrapped around their thumbs in a neatly placed bow. Whoever had them was hurting them, torturing them, and was now taunting their friends as though it were a sick game.

In his blinding fury, the Commander vowed that he'd kill whoever did this himself, shocking anyone that knew the man personally. It was the first time Axl has ever seen Signas lose his cool, and he hoped it would be the last. Although, it wasn't like he didn't share his sentiments.

That had been three weeks ago. No matter where they looked, they couldn't find anymore traces of the two anywhere. No matter what scans and tests they ran on the arms, they couldn't find a trace of any outsider either. The monster who did this was cunning, only leaving traces where they wanted to, when they wanted to. Such an evil being did not deserve to live, regardless if they were human or Reploid, and they'd be stopped as soon as possible.

The mission Axl had been sent on a week ago was alarming. Reports of a "dangerous abomination, half mechanloid and half Maverick" had been pouring into HQ, and a rookie team on patrol had been wiped out before their Navigators could see it. That's when Axl, the only Reploid besides X and Zero who was capable of handling an S-Class mission such as this, was called to destroy it. Taking a team of other fellow S-Class Hunters, Axl and his crew teleported downtown without hesitance, the moon hidden behind storming clouds as they beamed inside the heart of Abel City.

The scene was horrible. The mangled corpses of both humans and Reploids were littered around everywhere, broken apart and left to rot under the unforgiving night sky. Stealth was a must when facing an unknown opponent, and so Axl and his squad moved silently, following the path of destruction further into the darkness. Typically Axl liked running in guns-blazing, but something felt horribly off about this particular Maverick. Despite his strength and experience, something told him that if he wasn't careful he'd lose more then he was willing to part with.

He had been so preoccupied with stealth that he did not pay the conditions of the bodies any mind. He didn't notice how some had huge gaping holes in their chests, while others were sliced into narrowly cut pieces. A being who was a master at both ranged attacks and melee... Maybe he would've been able to put two and two together.

He clicked on the video feed in his helmet the closer he and his fellow Hunters got to the Maverick's location, allowing Palette direct access to everything he saw. Alia and Layer were helping to navigate this operation too, and they waited patiently for the monster to appear. They had thought they were prepared for it. How naïve they were.

Axl press forward through the evacuated streets, and soon enough they saw a large silhouette in the darkness, its back to them as it walked forward. Large robotic legs obscured most of its body from this angle, though they could easily make out blood dripping from somewhere up front. 

'Rookies must've gotten a good hit in,' Axl thought with a twitch in his hand, quietly motioning for his team to move to cover. Kill it quickly. This thing didn't deserve to suffer any longer.

From his distance, he couldn't quite hear it, but that thing was speaking to itself. It kept walking forward, unaware of the ambush awaiting just inches behind. Axl moved closer, activating his cloaking ability to remain unseen. Something was wrong. The voice was...familiar. When he was close enough he had to stop, his body shaking from the sudden chill. What was-?

"I'll kill them! I'll kill every last one of them!" The Maverick was pissed, the voice cracking from misuse, pain clear but it's source unknown. Something shifted in the darkness, and another familiar voice groaned in agony, whimpering but saying nothing. Axl blinked. Two of them? Was this beast two Reploids in one? The first voice continued, sounding insane and unreasonable. "Every Maverick! Everything! I'll kill everything!"

'Ah, classic. The Maverick thinks it's doing the right thing.' He grumbled in his head, sending a message to Palette.

//Going to engage now. It sounds insane.// He didn't mention how familiar it was, or how it made his artificial skin crawl.

//Good luck Axl. Stay safe. If overwhelmed, keep your distance. I'll inform you of any weak points as you progress.//

Axl nodded even if she couldn't see it, turning off the com messenger to take a steady breath. Without warning he jumped back, taking out his twin pistols and attacking with an onslaught of bullets. His fellow Hunters did the same, smart enough to keep their distance. Though it wouldn't keep them safe for long.

"What?!" The angry voice cried out in rage, not pain, curling it's large metallic body to protect whatever was in front. One Hunter, under the cover of fire, moved to the front, hoping to attack what was there. Whatever he saw, however, caused him to stop dead in his tracks, and he yelled in alarm as he jumped back in fright. The rest of the team was confused by this action, and Axl angrily dashed forward to take his place at the front of the attack.

Alia had been looking through the eyes of that Hunter near the front, and she gasped in horror at who the Maverick truly was. She screamed for someone to get Commander Signas, and Layer couldn't calm her down. She didn't understand what was wrong until she looked at the screen, her body stiffening.

"You idiot! What are you doing?! I don't care what it looks like, you have to-! To...?!"Axl skidded to a halt, unsure of what he was seeing, not believing what was before him. The monster turned to face the two up front, and immediately a familiar blue Buster was pointed their way.

"Die! All Mavericks must DIE!!" X screamed, green eyes straining with insanity as his Buster began to charge, aimed directly at Axl's head. The young gunner was rooted in place, his body shaking as he failed to move. He could hear Palette yelling in his ear, but it was distant, as though he were submerged underwater.

The mechanaloid did not connect to one Reploid, but two. X was upright, one arm formed into a permanent Buster, naked besides his gauntlets and the helmet upon his head, pure rage leaking off of him in waves. His lower torso connected to the lower back of Zero, who was dangling limply below him, familiar gold hair wild and filthy as he lifted his head slowly, groaning again as the tremors shook his equally naked body. He too had his weapon permanently replacing where his arm used to be, and Axl dumbly wondered how he hadn't noticed the glowing green saber before. Axl could only watch as the eyes of his best friends glared at him, one set ready to kill while the other begged to have the pain taken away.

It was disgusting how their skin in some places seemed to stretch and connect to one another. It was revolting seeing the wires that connected to their heads to the strange legs that allowed them to even move, likely filling their heads with bullshit. Neither recognized Axl, but Axl knew who they were.

He couldn't move, even as X fired a deadly shot straight for him.

Axl found himself on the ground some ways away right before the shot hit, and he remembered how his teammate sacrificed himself for his sake. Hell, every teammate did the same during that mission, giving their lives to help Axl attempt to destroy his friends. When they tried grabbing the monster, Zero would cut them down with a bored look on his face. If they tried attacking from afar, X would blow them up without a hint of remorse. Axl had tried, he really did, but as the fight went on, he was losing his very soul, let alone multiple body parts. He was dying. The sight of his friends was killing him more than the wounds were.

Reinforcements arrived too late, Axl's entire team had been destroyed. Luckily, the legs that kept X and Zero upright were wrecked, and it didn't take long for them to crumble beneath them. X landed heavily on top of Zero, and the two cried out in outrage and confusion as they were held down. X spat and snarled and swore, and Zero managed to seriously injure a few more Reploids who later died, before their weapons were dismantled. Axl was immediately taken to Lifesaver, and it was his broken heart that kept him from recovering from his injuries that week.

They had tried everything they could with X and Zero. Lifesaver and Cinnamon were the top medical Reploids in HQ, but they could only do so much for what ailed the mind. X called them all Mavericks while Zero laid beneath him silently, but sometimes he'd start begging for anyone to take his pain away. They could not be shut down. The pain killers only gave momentary relief before Zero began to cry again. X was violent and irrational, and he would not let anyone try to separate the two.

So as to prevent either from hurting themselves or others, they were placed in the Training Room. Pallette had left a very large pile of blankets and pillows for them in the center of the room before the Hunters and Lifesaver placed the abomination there. X was still yelling as they were left alone, and the idea was to let them settle in their "new" surroundings, calm them down by giving them an open space to perhaps roam around, as well as allowing others to watch them at all times.

That was two days ago. No progress. X screamed at anyone who drew too close. It was clear that neither remembered Lifesaver or Cinnamon, but the rest of their friends haven't tried yet, fearing X's reaction.

Right now, the two were currently laying on top of the pile of blankets, neither having fallen asleep since they've gotten here. X was screaming about something, wincing and twisting as he laid on top of his friend, and Zero was crying with every movement X made. The two didn't seem to acknowledge one another. X would have surely stopped if he had known Zero was in pain, right?

"Although X had been moving too much for a proper scan, there seems to be no trace of the Maverick virus within them. I cannot discern why they are behaving this way. It's... a damn shame." Dr. Cain pinched his nose, clenching his eyes shut to ward off an oncoming migraine. X didn't recognize him either, from a distance anyways, and it broke his heart more then he'd like to admit. The boy was like a son to him, and it made him so furious to see the kind and generous X in such a state. He shared Signas' thoughts of destroying whoever was responsible. Now was not the time to let emotions control him, however.

"...I'm going down there. I need to see them." Axl wiped the tears off his face, straightening up with one last look out the window. He began to limp towards the elevator that led down, only to be stopped by Alia, who looked at him seriously.

"Do you need us to go down there with you?" She whispered gently, squeezing his shoulder. He shook his head, forcing a smile on his face to reassure her. He knew how terrified she was seeing her best friend like…like that down there. He didn't want her to be hurt.

"I'll be fine. They probably couldn't remember me when we were fighting, but now, maybe they'll... y'know." He shrugged, limping his way through the elevator doors, trying to appear optimistic. As soon as the doors closed, and the faces of his worried friends disappeared, he drew in a shaky breath and rubbed his face as he was lowered to his destination. He was frightened by what the two would say to him. He had to force himself out of those doors again, his body shaking.

Everyone watched intensely as Axl shuffled inside, his steps purposely loud so he wouldn't frighten the two. X jerked upright at the sound, his green eyes sharpening dangerously as he tried to get up and stand, but Zero kept him from moving too much. He pointed his arm where his Buster had been before, but not there was nothing attached to him that would defend himself. He hissed in outrage, glaring at Axl the closer he got, squirming and causing Zero to whimper loudly.

"Go away, Maverick! You're monsters, all of you!" He yelled, the gemstone on his helmet flashing in warning the closer the younger Reploid got. With his only hand he tried pushing himself off Zero again, who screamed and clawed at the floor hopelessly. Axl knelt down before them, raising his hands to show he was hiding nothing, and he smiled sweetly at the both of them.

"X, Zero, it's me... Axl. Do you remember me?" He spoke reassuringly, keeping a fair distance away so X wouldn't be hurting Zero. The blue Reploid before him was twitching, gripping Zero's hair roughly as he fidgeted, almost as though he was trying to calm himself down. He panted, squinting down at the floor.

"Maverick, M-Maverick, go away... go away...!" He hissed, biting his lip as he raised his eyes to Axl again, his pupils shrinking and growing. Axl clicked his tongue, cocking his head to the side. His eyes must be malfunctioning...

"It's okay, I'm no Maverick. I'm your friend, not a Maverick. Do you remember me X? Do you remember what happened to you?" He tried speaking the way he remembered X did when he was upset, calm and collected and comforting. A source of hope for anyone that needed it. X fidgeted, still pulling on Zero's hair as he growled.

"Maverick, you're trying to kill me... I know you are, you can't trick me!" He wheezed, yanking Zero's head up in his rage. The blond coughed, gasping for air, reaching his hand out to Axl desperately, pleading.

"Please...p-please, help m-me..." he whispered, gritting his teeth as he attempted to drag himself forward, looking Axl dead in the eye with unfocused blue irises. "Please, it hurts s-so much..."

"I know Zero..." Carefully, Axl reached his hand forward, gently holding his hand and rubbing it with his thumb. "I can't help you unless X calms down. Can you make him calm down? I don't want to hurt either of y-"

He yelped as Zero suddenly yanked him forward, his pained expression morphing into an animalistic snarl as he pulled the boy towards them, X shrieking and starting to pummel the boy as best as he could. Axl knew that everyone upstairs must've been freaking out, and he raised his free hand to show that he was okay. He worked his way out of X's reach, but Zero's hand clenched tightly around his wrist. He clawed at it before he was able to twist free, quickly moving away so the blond couldn't make a grab for him again. Zero reached but couldn't move much with X on top of him, and that beastly nature disappeared as swiftly as it had come.

"....P-Please, it hurts... please, help m-me..." He began to cry again, his hand visibly twitching as he buried his face into the floor. Axl took a few deep breaths before looking down at his wrist. He had been held for merely a few seconds, yet he felt that if he had let the other hold him any longer his arm would've been broken.

"Zero, I can't help you if you hurt me," Axl started, rubbing his now sore arms. X sure knew how to hit people... "You both need to calm down. You don't remember me? I'm your friend Axl!"

"You're a Maverick! A filthy, stupid, fucking Maverick!" X snarled, and Axl was taken aback by the language. X never swore. "I hate you! I hate you all and I want you dead!"

"No you don't X. You're head's just a little messed up, but soon you'll remember! Just you wait!" Wary of Zero now, Axl stood up slowly, moving to the left side of them as to avoid Zero's right arm, his eyes boring into X. "I'll make you remember... whatever happened to you will just be a bad dream soon, I promise!"

"A...bad dream?" X repeated with a grunt, trying to push himself off Zero's back as he watched Axl carefully. He was frightened, an injured wolf cornered and ready to kill if need be.

"Yes, a bad dream. I know you both are hurting a lot right now. You've been missing for a long time. I'll help you remember, and...and as your friend, I'm gonna help you guys through this." He accidentally let some emotion through, swallowing down the sob that threatened to tear him apart. He couldn't lose himself now. He had to be strong for the both of them. He gave X a smile, and without warning he pulled him into a tight hug.

X screeched. He tried biting him, but his teeth couldn't dig into Axl's armor. He squirmed, trying to break his left arm free, but the other Reploid held him firmly. The younger of the two was surprised by how...small X was. He could feel every artificial bone and muscle the other had... He tried not to move so much, pulling away and keeping his hands on X to prevent him from attacking.

"Do you want to stop hurting? We... We can separate you two... You can trust me," he whispered, lowering his eyes to Zero, who was still crying with his face buried into the floor. "You don't remember now, but you will soon."

X's confused mind couldn't understand who Axl was exactly, but some small part of him seemed to awaken at those words. The blue hero twitched under the boy's hands, shivering as he drew a shaky breath.

"...A bad dream...? It's all a bad dream...?" His voice hoarse, X closed his eyes. Axl wanted to believe that something was sparking X's old self, if only a little. 

"Bad dream...it's all a bad dream...it's not real... you're not...real..." X clenched his eyes shut, raising his hand to grip his head, sorrow plastered on his face. He leaned towards Axl, and the gunner was surprised into momentary silence.

"My...h-head, it h-hurts..." He had a moment, a small fragment of a moment, where he sounded like his normal self. When he opened his eyes again he sobbed, trying to twist his lower body, pulling on the skin that connected him to his best friend. 

"Shh, shh, X it's okay, I'm here. It's okay... Zero, please don't cry..." he shuffled his position to one where he believed X would be more comfortable without harming Zero, petting their backs to comfort them. Zero was stiff under his hand, lifting his head slowly but saying nothing. He looked lost, not knowing where he was.

Axl fought the urge to cry. These were his best friends. His mentors. His family. Seeing them like this… He couldn't bare it, but he knew that if the positions were reversed that X and Zero would never leave his side…

"I'm going to save you both. Believe in me. Why don't you sleep?" He whispered soothingly, tentatively petting Zero's hair as he rested an arm around X. The blond Hunter turned his head to look up at them, lips pursed in thought.

"Please. It hurts. Please help me. Please help me…" He deadpanned, his eyes wide as he stared at Axl. The younger one felt horribly uncomfortable. He knew that Dr. Cain's assessment of X being the less coherent one was a misjudgment. Poor Zero didn’t seem to have a clue. At least X responded to him. Zero…wanted to hurt him.

You could see it in his eyes.

"I know. Please close your eyes and rest. You both need it." He smiled slightly, and Zero's gaze sharpened.

"Please…don't hurt…my friend…" He whispered brokenly, and Axl froze. The blond raised his head and laughed suddenly before falling into his pitiful sobs, burying his face into the blankets. X shuffled against Axl slightly, running a hand through Zero's hair in a slow motion, saying nothing.


End file.
